Rhoads beats Chizik, Jay Cutler's Sister, Shandys Rule

• Don't miss a great documentary on HBO, Thrilla in Manila. It makes clear how indefensibly cruel Muhammad Ali was to Joe Frazier. Frazier remains bitter to this day. The movie also shows what many consider the greatest boxing match of all time, where both men nearly killed each other, and Ali famously said he felt like he was dying. Neither man was ever the same again, in or out of the ring. Frazier stopped by the SoundOFF studio a couple months ago and couldn't have been more gracious, but he's a broken man.
• If American Idol were a fight, they'd stop it right now. Adam Lambert by knockout.
• Southland surprised me. Much better than I expected. It's really good. Hopefully it catches on.
• I spent a few days in Denver for guys getaway weekend. Man, is that good for the soul. We saw the Stars vs Avs in a shootout, the Rockies spank the Phillies on opening day, and Bruce Springsteen rock a sold out house. We also found an Irish pub that didn't mind taking our money. Todd Bailey and I ordered Shandys (that's Guinness and Lemonade), which our friend Ryan Lund made fun of as he drank Coronas in an Irish pub.
• Apparently I don't walk enough. We walked everywhere in Denver and my legs are still sore. That's kind of sad.
• On top of that, my forearm still hurts from playing 72 holes of Golden Tee. That game is addictive. I did not improve.
• Met Jay Cutler's sister in Denver. I think she might have actually introduced herself that way. "I'm Jay Cutler's sister". It's fair to say she's bitter toward the Broncos.
• Give Paul Rhoads his first clear win over Gene Chizik: acting. Rhoads is WAY better in those Applebee's ads.
• Can't wait to see the new upgrades at Kauffman Stadium. That's a great place to see a game.
• First class news conference out of Ed Podolak. As Sean Keeler said, now the real work begins. I believe Hawkeye fans will help.
• 12,000+ at a hockey game in Des Moines? Didn't think it was possible. Props to the Chops. Now they need to do it without ice that looks like it belongs outside an International Falls bar.
• The Masters came alive on that front nine when Phil started playing out of his mind, then Tiger dropped an eagle. Everything that followed was anticlimactic, and that includes a poorly played playoff. Entertainment picked back up when Chris Hassel played Jim Nantz on SoundOFF.
• I'll never forget how thrilling it was as a boy to watch Mark "The Bird" Fidrych on Monday Night Baseball in 1976. He was a phenomenon. Hard to believe The Bird's gone.
• The Mayor could be the next GM. ESPN the Magazine thinks Fred Hoiberg will take over the top spot with the Timberwolves.
• Jon Miller and Steve Deace make a good team. That's a smart move out of KXNO. Miller is good by himself and so is Deace, but they're both better together. I always made a point to listen when Deace was on Miller's show, and now that's daily---though 6 a.m. is a little early for me.
• The Padres need to lose those tan pants. They've come a long way since the Taco Bell uniforms of yesteryear, but tan? Baseball pants should be white or gray.
• Andy and I will host Cy's House of Trivia Saturday night. We get the answers ahead of time, so we should sound smart. Like Alex Trebek.

Ed's Back In The Booth, Ferentz Should Give Son Another Chance, Terror Alert: Code Brown

• It will be good to see Ed Podolak back in the booth where he belongs. Friends tell me he looks like a new man. I don't think the party scene at Hawkeye Huddles will be the easiest atmosphere for Ed, but I know Hawk fans will be respectful of what Ed's doing. This could be a win-win for everyone.
• I don't think Kirk Ferentz should kick his son off the football team because I don't think any college player, even the coach's son, should be booted for underage drinking and public intox. If one of the offenses were drunk-driving, I'd say dismiss him, but I think you give young Ferentz, or any player one more chance. Three strikes, you're out. I do think you have to suspend James a minimum of three games, and take away his allowance. I can't imagine how upset Kirk is that his son put him back in his embarrassing position again.
• Good to hear Larry Cotlar will be back on the air soon. 1700, The Champ, hired the Cotman to begin updates Monday. I wouldn't be surprised to see Larry with his own local show soon.
• Marty Tirrell is still giving his opinion at http://www.62andeven.com/ Jeff Jorgensen runs the site and contributes. He does a terrific job of finding interesting sports video and informational nuggets. Marty and Jeff also included Chris Hassel's latest impression, which shows Marty gets it, the same way skewered politicians laugh at themselves after SNL digs in.
• 3-D adds nothing to animated movies for me, might even take away. I paid the extra couple of dollars per ticket for Monsters vs Aliens, but the muddier picture isn't worth the occasional object moving toward you. Seth Rogen made the movie as B-O-B, though Stephen Colbert as the President has the best line, "Boys, set the terror level at Code Brown, cause I need to change my pants".
• To get ready for the Masters, I stopped at the Manhattan Deli on Ingersoll and ordered the "Zach Johnson". That's a good sandwich.
• Jenny and I had a date night dinner at "Sam & Gabe's". Why have I never been there before? That place is awesome. The "small" prime rib was the size of my head and couldn't have been more delicious, while Jenny thought her Halibut the she's had.
• Props to the Star Bar in Des Moines for exchanging my T-shirt that didn't fit after it sat in my car for nearly a year. This may surprise you; the shirt has a big star on it.
• Hasn't Jack Bauer earned the benefit of the doubt by now?
• Congratulations to Shawn Terrell for winning an Edward R. Murrow award for his reporting on Raccoon Valley Little League teams wearing Negro Leaue uniforms and inviting former KC Monarchs star Ernie Schoolboy Johnson to watch a game, and talk to the kids. Photojournalists Brian Fiser and Chris Hassel also worked on this terrific story.
• I'm off to Denver for the annual guys weekend. We have a triple-header of economic stimulus: "Stars vs Avs", "Phillies vs Rockies", "Springsteen vs Immortality". I can't wait. I'll try to send some pictures via Twitter at keithmurphy13
• My book for the plane is Jeff Pearlman's "The Rocket That Fell To Earth". It's the story of the rise and fall of Roger Clemens. If it's half as riveting as Pearlman's book on Barry Bonds, I may finish it before the plane touches down in Denver.
• For those of you who have sent follow-up questions to the FAQ below, I'll try to answer them next week. Thank you for stopping by.

FAQ

I'm asked a lot of questions. Some through e-mail, a few over the phone, most when I'm out and about. For the curious, here are the most frequently asked questions, and some quick answers:

• Are you a Hawkeye or a Cyclone? Thankfully both, and neither. I didn't go to either school. I used to provide mediocre TV play-by-play for the dog basketball games on the Iowa State schedule, but that came with the job at WOI. I love a good story, and don't care if it comes from Ames or Iowa City. When the Hawks are doing well and the Clones aren't, I'm frequently labeled a "Hawkeye" and vice-versa. My wife is an Iowa State alum, so keeping the kids objective is more of a challenge, though Colin favors the Hawkeyes because Herky is all over his favorite blanket.
• Do you and Andy hang out off-camera? Yes. I consider Andy one of my best friends, and I'm constantly entertained by his humor and intelligence. Our wives, Jenny and Kahala, are also close, and sometimes accuse Andy and I of bromance---but only when we're not paying enough attention to them. We take the hint immediately.
• Did you ever play sports? Yes. I lived to play sports. In fact, I wish I had been more well-rounded. I played four sports: football (quarterback/safety), basketball (point guard), baseball (pitcher/shortstop), and track (jumps)---though my high school baseball coach made me pick between my first love and track. I stayed with track because the high jump, long jump, and triple jump were so much fun. Football was my passion, and I played briefly in college as a tackling dummy before future Falcon Jessie Tuggle knocked me into broadcasting. He did me a favor.
• Are you from Iowa? I've lived in Iowa longer than anywhere else---nearly 20 years---but I grew up in Vermont, went to high school in Florida, and attended college at Valdosta State University (Georgia).
• What's your favorite sport? Hands down, college football.
• Favorite athletes? Johnny Bench, Dan Marino, and Dr. J.
• Favorite athletes to interview? Tim Dwight, Lolo Jones, Ha-Keem Abdel Khaliq, Adam Emmenecker, Fred Barr, Shawn Johnson.
• Coach? Johnny Orr. Never knew what he'd say next. Just ask Dick Vitale
• Why didn't you take that job at ESPN? I was under contract at WHO, and I love living in Iowa. It was flattering to hear from ESPN, but let's be real, ESPN didn't really need me then, and it sure never missed me. Working at a place like channel 13 is a chance to be more a part of something both on and off the air.
• What are your favorite pro teams? Cubs are my top pro passion, though we go to more Royals games than anything else. For decades, I lived and died with the Dolphins, but geography, and Jimmy Johnson, dulled my enthusiasm. We enjoy the Chiefs, especially the tailgating. Lately, that's the best reason to go.
• Favorite games? (on the job) Cap One Bowl, Tate to Holloway. Iowa State vs Michigan State in Elite 8. (off the job) Marino and the Dolphins spoil Bears perfect season on Monday Night Football.
• How glad are you Andy came back? Thrilled. I really enjoyed working with my friend Heather Burnside, and I thought she was terrific, but even Heather wanted to see Andy and me teamed up again.
• Why did Andy really come back? 1) Kahala 2) Des Moines 3) Channel 13 4) Have you ever been to Missouri?
• Is that John Bachman's real hair? Yes. The man has been blessed. He doesn't age either. I can't help but like him anyway.
• Hey, what happened to Round Guy? He retired from channel 13 shortly before his induction into the SoundOFF Hall of Fame, but he's still rockin' over at 95 KGGO in the mornings, and now co-hosts a sports talk show at noon on 1700 The Champ.
• What's Ed Wilson really like? Funny, loyal, and considerate. Everyone should have a friend like Ed.
• How long have you been at 13? 13 years. I've now been here more than twice as long as I worked at channel 5.
• Why do you guys love negative stories? We don't. No one gets into sports to chase downers. I'd rather cover a Final Four than a fired coach any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
• Do you get along with people at the other stations? Yes. We're friends, and friendly competitors.
• What do you talk about in the commercial breaks? Usually something from our personal lives. Or we're laughing at what Ed's doing/singing/saying.
• You guys look like you're having fun. Is that real? Yes it is.
• Is Chris Hassel nuts? Yes. But in a good way.
• Why does Erin love Nebraska football so much? She's from Nebraska. What else can you love in Nebraska?
• Is Shawn Terrell related to Marty Tirrell? No. Different spelling. Different family.
• Who writes your stories? Me.
• Do you still get nervous? Not with the familiar, like anchoring a sportscast, but sometimes I still get butterflies speaking to a class or hosting a banquet. Basically, I'm an introvert who plays an extrovert on TV.
• What did Andy do that time you couldn't stop laughing on SoundOFF? Which time? When he was off-camera. I can't tell... But I can smell.

That covers a lot of ground, but if you have any other questions or follow-ups, feel free to send them to keith.murphy@whotv.com

Thank you for the questions and the time.

Keith

Bears or Broncos, Help Wanted for QB, Lolo is Energy.

• Who wins the trade: Broncos or Bears? Bears fans have been without a Pro Bowl quarterback for so long, they reacted like Jay Cutler is Tom Brady. Cutler's been acting like an entitled brat, but the dude can play. He gives the Bears the early edge, but don't give up on the Broncs. Orton was good last year before playing hurt. He is also highly respected among his peers, something Cutler is not. Throw in two #1 draft picks, and if Orton fulfills his potential, long term nod to Denver.
• I'll be surprised if the Barnstormers don't draw a record crowd Saturday night. People are ready for football, and more importantly, ready to party.
• The Barnstormers make $200 a week, 250 if they win. Quarterback Joe Brannen needs a part-time job. If you're interested, send me an email. I'll get it to Joe. (af2 not quite the glamorous life of the NFL.)
• I wish Lolo Jones would come by the station every day. The woman energizes the place like no one else. No wonder the Energy made her spokeswoman for a night. Energy, she has.
• Iowa State's Heather Ezell advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA 3-point shooting contest with a broken shooting hand.
• I'm getting smoked in KIIC Radio's "Stump the Chumps" bracket contest, and it gets worse. If North Carolina wins, Chris Hassel wins. The whole thing. More than 500 people entered, and Hassel would win.
• Jake Kelly's exit is devastating to Iowa's basketball program, but I believe Jake when he says he just wanted to get back to his family. I can't imagine losing my mother in a plane crash at such a young age. I wish Jake well at Indiana State and hope Drake can get a hand in his face.
• I miss the local shows on KXNO. Don't worry, the station is reloading. Meantime, 1700 The Champ launched its first daily local show, "Out of Bounds". It features SoundOFF Hall of Famer Round Guy and Andy Garman. It's noon to one p.m.
• Heartfelt condolences to the Mahon family for the loss of Bev. Bev's love of movies, and reasonable prices, lives on at the Varsity Theater.

Don't Kill The Messenger, Marty Is Sincere, Lickliter Tries Too Hard.

• Of all the misguided energy in the fallout of the KXNO firings, nothing is sillier than the kill the messenger mentality of listeners, viewers, and message board posters who are trying to figure out how channel 13 received the audio. The audio isn't some secret recording or exposed conversation, it's exactly what went out live over KXNO's airwaves. It unquestionably allowed far more people to hear it, but if Clear Channel's firings were based on the actions of those three employees, the replay of the recording should have absolutely no impact on that decision. None. If it did, it was for PR, not principles. Period.
• I believe Marty Tirrell is genuinely sorry for what happened. And he should be. You should never talk to another human being that way, let alone a co-worker in front of others. I also think Marty's an expert at landing on his feet, partly because he's a genuine radio talent. Why do you think so many people speak of him with so much passion, both positive and negative. Local radio is far more interesting with Marty on the air. He'll be back. (Oh, and credit where it's due: Marty's contrite letter of apology couldn't have been better.)
• Larry Cotlar did the right thing not accepting the Energy offer to work with Marty. I believe Energy owner Jerry Crawford had good intentions, but Cotlar had nothing to gain, and further association with Marty would only serve to remind the public of their fight. It's too soon. Reconciliations should be private for now.
• Geoff Conn loved KXNO. He's the kind of guy who gives all. I hope someone will hire him soon.
• Enough. We're all tired of it.
• No one should ever complain that the Des Moines media doesn't cover women's basketball. In this economy, virtually no TV stations traveled to the NCAA Women's Tournament, and three stations, not to mention the Des Moines Register & Ames Tribune, followed the Cyclones to Berkeley, California.
• Shawn Terrell did his usual outstanding job. My favorite video of the week was the Cyclones sitting around the locker room, the night before their game, doing their homework. How much of that do you think goes on in the men's Elite 8?
• Todd Lickliter tried a little too hard to sound upbeat at his news conference---it came across as fake---but he has to try something. Hawks are flying the coup at an alarming rate. When players leave for more minutes it's one thing; when starters bail, it's another. When four guys who all had big games leave the same week, something stinks. I like Lickliter. I think he can coach. I highly doubt it works out at Iowa. It's not impossible, but winning with that style in the Horizon League is a lot easier than the Big Ten. Have you seen Michigan State in the tournament?
• Iowa State also lost two players, but it was hard to notice with the Hawks exodus, and Josh Parker's departure at Drake. The Bulldogs looked like they were having no fun changing systems this season, and Mark Phelps hopes Parker is the only one to act on it.
• Jake Kelly announced his exit on Facebook! Apparently Curt Schilling is his media advisor.
• Who's the best coach in the state? I think you can make the case for Bill Fennelly. No one gets more out of his players than Fennelly. You can also make a case for Tom Brands. The man just won back-to-back national championships. However, the three most recent wrestling coaches at Iowa won NCAA titles. Before Fennelly arrived at ISU, the Cyclones had one 20 win season in school history. Post Fennelly: 9 including 2 Elite 8 teams. Only winners in this discussion.
• I watched the Cyclones amazing last minute comeback against Michigan State with a group of friends at Jethros. It's the most I've ever seen a group of people (not at a game) get into women's basketball. It's too bad Jethros didn't turn the game audio on---no one needs to hear Third Eye Blind when the joint's erupting in cheers---but the food, drinks, and video were great.
• Have you ever noticed Tracy Morgan has really small hands?
• Our kids are still smiling from the Globetrotters. They loved it. Nice article this week in Sports Illustrated on the resurgence of the Trotters.
• Whatever the Iowa Chops are paying Tana Goertz, she's worth it. The Chops Apprentice competition put fans in the stands, and added buzz.
• 24 is great again this season.
• Chris Hassel keeps nudging me to tweet on Twitter. I think this means I should update my status.
• Speaking of Hassel, his latest channeling of Marty Tirrell was sharp, funny, and oddly affectionate. You can watch in on the video player at www.whotv.com/sports
• We just put it in new gutters. That's the kind of crap your house needs, costs a lot, and no one notices.
• I'm getting my butt kicked in the KIIC Radio "Stump the Chumps' bracket contest. I hope this won't get me banned from Rathbun Lake's Honey Creek Resort. We love that place.
• Can't wait to see my first Barnstormer game of the season. If you didn't get to a game last year, try it. Affordable and fun. The Stormers will win several more games this season too.
• I asked what color you think Missouri's road basketball uniform most closely resembled. Your best answers: baby poop, the Crayon no one takes out of the box, macaroni and cheese, pea soup.
• I love "Friday Night Lights", it's my favorite TV show, but Tim Riggins is increasingly the least believable looking high school Senior since Stockard Channing in Grease (and she was 34). He's a great character, but looks old for college.
• My youngest boys enjoyed "Sideways Stories" at the Des Moines Playhouse. I have a bit part on a TV monitor as Mr. Kidswatter, which my kids got a kick out of, but the real cast is talented and fun. Star 102.5's Colleen Kelly also does a great job as the voice of one of the teachers. Now that I've seen the play, I wish I could tape my lines again.
• Love the new Guitar Hero commercial with the coaching legends and Metallica. Always good to see Bob Knight in tube socks and tighty-whities.
• I'm always looking for ways to stay in shape at home with a time-crunched schedule. Martial Arts instructor Fred Nicklaus says he'll make it happen in 9 minutes a day with his combat workout. I'll keep you posted.
• Mom's taxi is back in service. That's code for Little League season is upon us.
• Gosh, it was hard to watch the intervention of Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice. I hope he gets some help.
• Jayne Appel just scored again.

The Shove, The Incident, The Principal

• Brent Metcalf was wrong. The clock was at zeroes when he pushed Darrion Caldwell mid-flip. It was bad sportsmanship, and Caldwell could have been seriously injured. But since he wasn't, let's call Caldwell what he was at the end of that match: a hot-dogging knucklehead. It's okay to be excited, jubilant even---it was a stunning upset for a national title---but you don't celebrate like that. Especially in wrestling.
• I feel for the nice people at KXNO. It's an absolute mess to have a profane fight between two on-air personalities go out over the air, accidental or not. We've all heard the F-word at work, many of us have used it, and it's not the first time it's been heard over a surprisingly hot mike. I'm more disturbed by the anger. I'm not sure I've never heard a verbal beating like the one Marty Tirrell gave Larry Cotlar. There's more we don't know. Why was Marty so mad? Who really misused credentials? How was the mike turned on? Why didn't anyone notice? But the one certainty is this: you cannot argue like that in front of other employees, and you certainly don't do it in a studio full of microphones---even when you have every reason to believe it's not going over the air.
  
• "There's no such thing as bad publicity". If you believe this, and many do, Marty is more valuable to KXNO than ever. He's raised his profile times ten, maybe more. (For the record, I don't believe all publicity is good publicity. See Larry Eustachy.)
• I have a friend who was at a table full of people when one of the women accidentally pocket-dialed a "friend". The woman started trashing her "friend" and part of it was left on voice mail. They no longer speak. Always talk as if just about anyone can hear you, and for the most part, you'll stay out of trouble. No one is perfect at this, but it's a good goal.
• I enjoyed Will Ferrell as President Bush in "You're Welcome, America", but I thought it would be funnier.
• I can't believe some of what I hear on HBO's Eastbound and Down.
• I'm not into Dancing with the Stars except when Shawn's on. She's in it to win it. I'm not surprised how well Shawn's doing. She's a world class athlete with an unmatched work ethic. I guess that works for the balance beam and the Fox Trot.
• Seeing some of the unfortunate facial hair at boys state reminded me of my ill advised woolly chinstrap in high school. There's something about proving you can grow a beard. Fortunately we didn't have Facebook back then.
• Frank Deford, will you please stop making me cry when I watch HBO's Real Sports. I'm starting to feel like Dick Vermeil.
• What was A-Rod thinking this time?
• I can't ever remember if a Brent is a Brett or vice-versa. To all the Brents I called Brett, and all the Bretts I called Brent, I apologize.
• I make my Des Moines Playhouse debut this weekend, via videotape, as Principal Kidswatter in Sideways Stories from Wayside School. I'm confident my theatrical career will not progress beyond this month.

Cameron Crazies love Harrison Barnes, Ed Podolak looks great, Drake's in what?

• Glad to be wrong. UNI made it to the NCAA Tournament. But Portland? Against Purdue? Thanks NCAA Selection Committee.
• I understand Drake playing another game, in whatever tournament comes after the NIT, but don't try to sell us on "first time Drake's received back-to-back post-season bids in decades". Come on. Use the game at Idaho to get better for next year, but don't pull alongside Iowa's football press release in 2007 for being "bowl eligible" even though no one invited the Hawks.
• I am one of the "Chumps" in KIIC Radio's "Stump The Chumps" bracket contest. It's free, there's a nice prize (flat screen TV), and the radio station donates a dollar for each entry to the Southeast Iowa Race for the Cure. Go to www.kiicradio.com to enter
• The Cyclone women get a 4 seed. Yeah! Only to find out the 5 is Tennessee. Ouch. And they're playing near Nashville (Bowling Green, KY). Goodness.
• Iowa hosts. It would be nice to see something usually missing from Carver-Hawkeye Arena lately: fans.
• Harrison Barnes is the total package: unlimited talent, bright student, engaging personality. On SoundOFF, he showed off his polished interview skills, though he's not ready to reveal much. Harrison also showed a willingness to have fun, especially when the red light wasn't on. He's a great kid, and after spending some time with his mother, Shirley, it's easy to see why.
• Harrison says he hasn't eliminated any schools from consideration, but there's no doubt Duke made quite an impression on him. As Harrison told me, sitting court side at the Carolina-Duke game and having the Cameron Crazies chant his name was unbelievable. The rest of us can only imagine.
• A friend who ran into Iowa icon Ed Podolak says Ed looks like a million bucks and says he feels the same way. That's great to hear, and I'll be shocked if Ed's not back in the booth in September.
• The World Baseball Classic is a cool idea, but I just can't get into it. I'd rather watch a Cubs spring training game.
• Gosh it's frustrating being behind a person who refuses to stop talking and texting on a cell phone even though it's slowing the line down. At Kum & Go earlier this week, I finally offered to pay. I got the Stink Eye.
• Steve Alford, conference coach of the year, but still Not In Tournament. Or NIT for short.
• Andy Fales brings me a fresh batch of homemade pickled eggs each year, and no one else at work eats them but me. I mean, I work in a newsroom! You can put down a plate of burned cookies baked without sugar, flour or eggs, and they'll be gone in five minutes. The pickled eggs? No takers. Ever.
• I'm geeked that Coldplay is coming to Des Moines. I can take the 40 Year Old Virgin jokes. Coldplay rocks, and I can't wait to see U2's heir apparent in person. Huge pull for the Iowa Events Center.
• Since I sent out a Twitter (keithmurphy13) that I'll go see Journey at the State Fair just as soon as Steve Perry rejoins the band, dozens of people emailed me to say the new guy "sounds just like Perry". I understand but that doesn't make Creed-Pearl Jam or Adam Duritz-Van Morrison.
• Why is a comedian doing the best job of holding national news-makers accountable for what they say? Jon Stewart's TKO of CNBC's Jim Cramer was riveting television, even if Stewart did hit below the belt a time or two.
• "Here comes the Funcooker!"
• The return of ER's old cast has been nostalgic fun, and a reminder of how great the show once was. First class move by George Clooney. Nice when a big star remembers how he became so famous. Most don't.
• "Kings" is like nothing else on television. Definite potential.
• Nicolas Cage is starting to look scary.
• I was nearly hit by a car while playing Wiffle Ball with the kids. A nice, cautious neighbor who drives a Prius slowed down to about 5 miles an hour, and I never heard the car creeping up on us. I don't think it was making any sound. Good for the environment, bad for hearing.
• If you have kids who like basketball, take them to see the Globetrotters. They won't be disappointed. My grandma took me for my ninth birthday and I'll never forget it.
• Who's a bigger mess: Denise Richards or Paula Abdul?

Purple Reign, Fallon Failin', Twitter what?

• UNI will Dance! The Panthers nearly equal Drake's magic carpet ride of a year ago, winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles. Let's see if UNI can surpass Drake's NCAA "one and done".
• Osiris Eldridge was out of his mind. He made at least two shots from the concession stand. UNI vs. Illinois State was an Instant Classic.
• Andy texted early in the championship game that he thought more UNI fans would be in St. Louis. Maybe there was a teachers' convention somewhere else.
• It is startling to watch Iowa on TV and see all those empty seats---especially on weeknight games.
• The Hawk fans who did show Saturday, saw a thrilling win against Penn State. Jake Kelly took it to the bank. It's been a good year for Iowa when Penn State visits Iowa City.
• Jimmy Fallon is talented, likable, and eager to please. I'm rooting for him. However, Fallon had a rough first week replacing Conan. Not everyone can host a good talk show (see Chevy Chase, Pat Sajak, Magic Johnson... many others), but the ones who are great at it (see Letterman, Leno, Ellen) make it look so easy, most people don't realize just how hard it is. Fallon prepared for months and the first week still had many terrible, unfunny skits (the chair was a low point), awkward interviews (Deniro), and guests more comfortable than the host (Justin Timberlake, Tina Fey). The Roots are a highlight, as was "slow-jammin' the news", and it's always a treat to see Van Morrison live. Way too early to give up on Fallon---took Conan months to find his footing---but a reminder late night is littered with talented failures.
• U2's live performance of "Magnificent" on Letterman shows the World's Greatest Rock Band has another classic.
• Why is it no matter how many times you tell kids, they put an empty jug back in the fridge? The only thing more annoying is when they pour a glass, but leave an eighth of an inch of lemonade so they have plausible denial about why they didn't re-fill the jug.
• Colin is now 5, and the little guy kind of likes a girl in his pre-school class, but Colin announced at dinner Friday night, it's not going well: "Her say, 'I hate you. Get out of my life!" You can't make this stuff up.
• Will Ames High School need make-up days for all this missed school?
• Why does Paula Abdul clap like a seal on American Idol?
• I'm now posting scattershot thoughts throughout the day via Twitter. I don't even completely understand it, but you can follow my stream of consciousness on Twitter at keithmurphy13
• Is Ed Hightower at every game on your TV too? Or is it just mine---some kind of Hightower Network.
• Saturday Night Live, please stop with the MacGruber. MacGruber jumped the shark when it became PepsiGruber for the Super Bowl.
• The Rock Obama was funny.

McDermott Opens Up, Pornstache vs. Shorts, and Colin Calls 911.

• I think Greg McDermott really helped himself on SoundOFF Sunday night. No one questions McDermott's integrity or authenticity, but I found him surprisingly open about the mistakes he's made, warning signs he's missed, and lessons he's learned. It's hard not to root for the guy.
• McDermott has had a perfect storm of bad luck---most of it not his doing. At the end of the day, the team with the best players usually wins. How much better would Iowa State have been last year had McDermott not kicked Mike Taylor off the team? How many more games would the Cyclones have won this season with Wesley Johnson helping Craig Brackins? How long will it take us to wonder the same thing about next season if Brackins goes pro?
• Brackins needs at least another year to get stronger---maybe two.
• Does it feel to you like Drake won the mythical state championship?
• I'm still trying to get over the fact my father ordered a Cobb salad with a side salad. Who does that?
• Montell Marion's critics look pretty smart right now. He's still young. I hope he can turn it around.
• A-Rod is full of crap.
• Tim McClelland is a good guy, and a great umpire. The best in the Bigs. The man almost always gets it right, but Tim's wrong to give the Major League Baseball steroid cheaters a pass because they were just trying to gain an edge. It doesn't matter if baseball didn't have a rule prohibiting performance enhancers. It was against the law, and a well known health risk. It's also unfair to all the guys who didn't cheat, but got left behind. My friend Tim needs to check instant replay on this one and reverse the call.
• Not even eagle-eyed Tim could see the uniform numbers on the Hawkeyes new away jerseys. What were they thinking going black-on-black? The only thing that can save this for me is if Mediacom puts the Big Ten Network in HD. You can see anything in HD.
• The way I cringe when I see a picture of me with a mustache 25 years ago is how basketball players of this era will feel when they see themselves wearing XXXL shorts.
• On second thought, the pornstache is much worse.
• I love Celebrity Apprentice. Not only is it entertaining, but one look at Joan Rivers' face will keep me from ever having plastic surgery.
• Speaking of the Apprentice, when I was working my first job in Georgia, and Hershel Walker was a god in that state, fresh off his Heisman winning season, he agreed to a lengthy interview with me. When I got back to the station, the audio had a terrible hiss. I ran out to the airport (I was a one-man-band), and caught Hershel as he was getting on a booster's private jet. The man got off the plane with a smile, and did the entire interview again. I'm rooting for Hershel.
• I saw "Milk". Thought it was good, but overrated. Sean Penn gives an Oscar-worthy performance, though I still preferred Mickey Rourke in the "The Wrestler". It you are at all homophobic, Milk will make you uncomfortable at times. It's rated R for sexuality. So is "The Reader". If a 35 year old woman seducing a 15 year old boy makes you uncomfortable, avoid this one too. I thought this was one of the best movies of the year, though like Milk, not upbeat. Kate Winslett proves she has no acting equal right now.
• My mother just put an 8x10 picture of my son Cade on her wall with me cropped out! Mom, when did I become the guy you crop out of the picture?! Grandmas love their grandkids.
• It was great to see Providence knock off the #1 team in the land. I miss Keno.
• Is it possible U2's new album can live up to the over the top reviews? (e.g. Rolling Stone: 5 stars). It's constantly compared to "Achtung Baby" which is second only to "Joshua Tree" in my U2 library.
• My dad secretly watches "The View". He'll never admit this.
• Facebook took over my life for a week, but it's finally calming down. It is a joyous jolt to reconnect with so many people you thought you'd stay in touch with, but for one reason or another, did not. I held out for a long time, but I'm glad I came to my senses.
• "SoundOFF Nation" on Facebook is nearing 400 fans in 10 days. That even tops "Andy Fales is a god".
• Yes, it's true. My four year old son Colin called 911 because his older brother wouldn't play with him. Some things you can't make up.

Succumbing to the Power of Facebook

• Uncle. My Facebook holdout ends after 98 days. Shawn Terrell made sense when he said, "Look how long you waited for HD, and now you're an addict who actually needs treatment". Then Chris Hassel forced my hand with the terrific job he's doing building two Facebook pages: "SoundOFF Nation" and "SoundOFF with Keith and Andy". The first is an interactive fan page with videos, behind the scenes pictures of cast & crew, viewer profiles, and more extras than a collector's edition DVD. The second site is a group page, which I don't completely understand yet. Both SoundOFF sites added more than a hundred members in their first weekends despite no publicity. Nice job, Chris. You can sleep when you're dead.
• As for my personal Facebook page, I don't really know what I'm doing. I've added many pictures and re-connected with a lot of friends, classmates, and former co-workers. I definitely have room for improvement. My profile picture looks like it was taken at Glamour Shots, and my status update is usually something stupid like, "Keith is rearranging his sock drawer."
• I'm still not sure what to do about friend requests from people I don't know. Recommendations?
• It was in this blog while talking up Facebook's "Andy Fales is a God" that I jokingly mentioned "Keith Murphy Brushes His Teeth Daily" is stuck on one member, my mother. Well, someone took that title and had a little fun with it. Though my mom still hasn't joined, a few people have. And I've had a few laughs seeing where my head will turn up next.
• Tim from Des Moines wonders what it will take for Todd Lickliter and Greg McDermott to start winning. The answer is simple: better players. Lickliter led Butler to the Sweet Sixteen. Mac took three UNI teams to the NCAA Tournament. You don't do those things if you can't coach. Really coach. However, you can't win in the Big Ten and Big 12 with MVC or Horizon League talent. The bigger question is, can these guys recruit? Early returns aren't good.
• Has any team in the history of college basketball lost in the semifinals and been more celebrated than Drake's 1969 team? The answer is no, yet relative to Drake's history, the characters on that team, and the fact they nearly upset UCLA, it's understandable.
• UNI won't make the Dance. Neither will anyone else. (men's tourney)
• Iowa's new basketball uniforms look okay to me. At least they made the numbers smaller, and the names larger on the back so you can actually read them. Black on black is interesting for numbers on the away uniforms. The switch from white to gold at home is a "thumbs down" to many fans who have already emailed SoundOFF.
• The one downside to getting HD is it's really hard to watch games that aren't in high def. The Cyclones on Cyclone Television Network and the Hawkeyes on Big Ten Network (Mediacom version) are a huge drop off in quality after watching college basketball on ESPN (in more ways than one).
• Anyone else not getting KDSM, Fox 17, in HD this week? I miss seeing Simon Cowell's make-up.
• State wrestling deserves its rep as the nation's best tournament. It's well run, exciting, and sold out when it counts most. I played four sports in high school, but I don't think in one calendar year I worked as hard, or endured as much pain, as wrestlers do in one season. Between cutting weight, when everyone else is living on junk food, and being nearly tortured in some holds on the mat, I have a lot of respect for these kids and the sacrifices they make. I don't have the data, but I'll bet former wrestlers do pretty well in life.
• Big congrats to Ballard for absolute domination, and to Roosevelt for finally putting a Des Moines team in the top three.
• Is there a more misleading stat than "announced attendance"? I've seen Chops, Hawks, and Cyclones games where the announced number was nearly double the people in the stands.
• In this economy, niche sports need to be smart about marketing, and Iowa State showed how to do it with "Beauty and the Beast". Wrestling and gymnastics going on at the same time may be a gimmick, but it brought attention to sports that desperately need it.
• Most 17-year olds can't focus for more than a few minutes at a time, unless they're playing video games. Shawn Johnson can focus for five hours at a time, which is why she could win "Dancing with the Stars". Marathon practice sessions are nothing new to Shawn. She also told me the dancing could help her win more gold in 2012, since the judges obviously favored artistry over tumbling in Beijing. I still think we all need to leave Shawn room to change her mind about the Olympics. Three and a half years is a long time, and a lot of work, from now.
• Thank you Charles Barkley for showing the world how to apologize and actually appear as though you know you did something wrong, and you're really sorry. A-Rod, please note.
• Frank Deford's story on HBO's Real Sports about the six year old golfer who's blind in one eye is one of the all-time inspiring tear-jerkers. Bryant Gumbel's report on the police shooting of an African-American baseball player in a small, mostly white Texas town was sports journalism at its near best---only Bryant's obvious emotions kept it from perfection, but Gumbel's only human to be outraged. It was outrageous.
• If you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, you should. I know it sounds and looks to a lot of people like it couldn't be that good or that entertaining, but once you see it, you'll believe.
• "Taking Chance" on HBO is incredibly moving, yet never manipulative. I cried. You will never hear the name of a fallen soldier again without thinking about the trip home.
• Jenny, Colin and I went to see Ames High play at Hoover Friday night. Wherever Harrison Barnes and the undefeated Little Cyclones show up, it's THE event. Barnes' shot was off a tad, though he scored 28 points, but it's easy to see why he's one of the nation's top recruits. He's so smooth with and without the basketball. Hoover's Charles Zanders is a terrific coach, and it wasn't a surprise to see the Huskies gives the Clones all they could handle. Great game, and the gym was so packed, it felt like a sauna despite the 21 degree weather outside.
• Thanks to a bit on SoundOFF a month ago, I'm now seen as a champion of the Snuggie. I have a confession to make... Snuggies suck. They're stupid, don't fit well, and thinner than Kate Bosworth. Sorry. The book light is nice though. No it's not.

Scattershots: Daytona 380, Fear the Bong, and Rockin' the Faux-Hawk.

• NASCAR blew it. A sport already reeling from economic stress needed to start the season with a bang. Not a flat tire. Nothing is more anti-climactic than declaring the winner of the sport's biggest race, the Daytona 500, during a rain delay. Can you imagine the NFL calling a winner after the third quarter? The Masters after the third round? Major League Baseball after the 6th inning in game 7? The Daytona 380 is a terrible idea. If there's too much rain to finish that night, race the next day, even if the stands are half empty. The Daytona 500 jump-starts NASCAR's entire season, and ending under an umbrella brings no one new to the party.
• Authorities in South Carolina are trying to build a case to arrest Michael Phelps. In the history of ill-advised bong hits, few have paid more of a price than Phelps already has. (update 2/16: South Carolina Sheriff's office says there will be no charges against Phelps.)
• Don't think winning cures all? Six months ago Kirk Ferentz was under fire for all the arrested Hawkeyes off the field. Four months ago, Ferentz faced harsh criticism for his coaching on the field. Iowa then went on a roll, upset #3 Penn State, and blew out South Carolina in a January bowl game. Ferentz just signed a new 7 year contract.
• Good to see Ferentz and Gary Barta were smart enough to not add any more money to Ferentz's deal. The $3 million a year already caused Ferentz more strife than he ever wanted. Not his fault. If channel 13 wanted to pay me $3 million (they don't), I'd take it.
• I didn't think there was any way for the Packers to come out of the year long Favre soap opera looking better than Favre, but they do.
• Can't we make Hank Aaron the home run king again? Probably not.
• Pitchers and catchers report to spring training. I'm trying to get excited, but I'm still suffering from A-Rod fatigue and Cubs hangover.
• According to the Birmingham News, Gene Chizik says "he's never made a mistake, and never failed". This guy is unbelievable. He made too many mistakes to mention at Iowa State, and he most certainly failed. Iowa State's fortunate to get out of the Chizik era without owing this fraud money.
• I was sick on the couch all weekend. That means I watched a lot of losing basketball. It doesn't take a bad cold to realize what Greg McDermott and Todd Lickliter are missing: talented players. These guys have both proven they can coach. You won't take UNI to NCAA tournaments, or Butler to the Sweet 16 if you're a coaching moron. In the big conferences, you have to have the players. They don't. Both need to seriously upgrade recruiting, or they're going to be out of jobs in the next couple years.
• Have you ever tried Tabasco sauce on popcorn? Andy's wife, Kahala, does this... and I'm hooked. Though it burns my fingernails.
• I wish I had enough hair to rock a faux-hawk like Dave Price.
• I don't buy Joaquin Phoenix's wackjob act, but I do think it's a fascinating stunt, reminiscent of Andy Kauffman on Lettermen twenty years ago. People fell for that too.
• We just watched the chick flick, "Definitely, Maybe". It was definitely, maybe pretty good. I liked it. (Assist to Geoff on correcting title.) "Swing Vote" was a swing and a miss. Kevin Costner is likeable---all the actors are good---but the movie doesn't know what it wants to be: silly, serious, or satirical. Also watched "W". Josh Brolin brings it, but W just isn't quite entertaining enough.
• What's your favorite Valentine's Day treat? I'm leaning toward the chocolate covered strawberry. It's much better than a chocolate covered hard boiled egg.

A-Roid, Hilton Magic Disappears, and Taking Out a Mortgage for Little League

• The five players who, arguably, impacted Major League Baseball the most in the past decade are now all linked to steroids. A-Rod, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, and Clemens. So far, only A-Roid came clean, and that's after he was backed into a corner, following years of denials. Still, it was the smart play.
• A-Rod says he only used steroids when he played for Texas and felt all that pressure to be one of the greatest players of all time. Let me get this straight, he felt pressure in a place where next to no one cares about baseball---Texas---but he never juiced when playing in baseball's most pressure packed spotlight, Yankee Stadium? Could be true. We can't believe much of what we hear, but we've learned to trust what we see. All of the power players above looked over-inflated and put up video game numbers, several at times when their careers should be in decline.
• I wish MLB would put Hank Aaron and Roger Maris back on top where they each belong. I suppose it's impossible to do because we still don't fully know who cheated and who didn't, but it's slowly becoming clear. The power era was a fraudulent joke, and somewhat understandable. Those artificially inflated numbers led to billions of dollars in player salaries, and to date, no one has had to give back a single penny. The cost has been humiliation, shame, and possibly raisin-size testicles.
• Props to Alex Rodriguez and his teams of crisis management advisers for being much smarter than Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. Admit to wrongdoing, apologize for mistake, look really sorry. Bonds and Clemens kept denying in the face of an overwhelming mountains of evidence and now the Hall of Fame is the least of their problems. We Americans will forgive you, but you have to go Jimmy Swaggert, not Richard Nixon (or Bill Clinton, if you prefer.).
• It's hard to watch the newscast right now and hear about another local company laying off a bunch of workers. It just doesn't end. I can't imagine what those people are going through, and my heart goes out to them.
• If the economy continues in this direction, we're going to see a huge impact on local sports. In a way, we already are. Winning trumps everything, and we're seeing that people will not spend money to watch losing basketball. Iowa is giving tickets away to students and selling reserved seats for $10---to men's games. Hilton Coliseum hasn't had a sellout this year, and likely won't. Drake comes off it's best season in four decades, but with the Dogs in a slump, finding a seat is no problem on any night. This will put more pressure on coaches to win now. (Even UNI is fighting apathy, and the Panthers are in first place.)
• Eventually fans are going to turn against professional athletes. While fans lose their jobs, 401K's, and benefits, it's pretty hard to hear about a guy turning down $25 million for one season of baseball.
• Jenny and I always try to hit Wrigley Field for a weekend, but $800 or so for baseball seems crazy right now. Principal Park will do just fine.
• The Barnstormers had it figured out ahead of time. That's why af2 is still playing and AFL is not. $10 tickets work in a recession, $100 tickets do not---unless you're in Pittsburgh.
• I continue to hear from hockey fans who say the Chops are doing everything right, including reasonable ticket prices (concession is another matter, though out of the Chops hands). However, one problem won't go away: atmosphere. Even on a rare night when Iowa pulls in 7,000 fans, it's never that energetic, magical shared experience you'd get in a building that holds 7,000. Wells Fargo Arena is just too big for hockey in Des Moines.
• Michael Phelps didn't hurt anyone but himself ---and the feelings of his fans, especially the young ones. Driving drunk was a far more serious offense because he could have killed someone. I did my share of stupid things when I was 23, though smoking weed wasn't one of them. The thing I can't quite understand is how Phelps could be so foolish and naive. Did he really not stop and think that in this day and age, someone might take a picture? You can't do anything without someone whipping out a cell phone and putting it on his or her Facebook page 15 minutes later. Heck, my wife embarrassed me in no time just because I made the mistake of wearing a Snuggie on the couch to prove you can hold a cell phone and a remote at the same time, thanks to the blanket's sleeves!
• Mark Phelps may need more players who didn't play under Dr. Tom or Keno. I don't think the holdovers quite buy into the new system. If you don't believe, it won't work.
• I hate that Greg McDermott is not getting it done at Iowa State. He's a perfect fit in every way, but there's no way to excuse Iowa State losing 17 of its past 19 Big 12 games. Worst of all, Hilton Magic is all but dead. Even when Johnny Orr's teams couldn't win a Big 8 game away from Ames, they'd take down a top ten team or two at Hilton. It seems like Orr's team would often come close to being winless on the conference road, and undefeated at home. Tim Floyd and Larry Eustachy started winning home and away. The Magic started to slip at the end of the Eustachy era, fell further under Wayne Morgan, and now it's just gone. Iowa State must get it back. I'd argue Hilton Magic is Iowa State's most iconic athletic identity.
• Colin and I took in "Paul Blart, Mall Cop". I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Kevin James shows a flair for the kind of physical comedy John Belushi made famous. Instantly forgettable, but sweet. B-
• Last week's "30 Rock" with Alec Baldwin as "Generalissimo", bad guy in a Spanish soap opera, was genius. Baldwin puts on a comedy timing clinic each week. "Friday Night Lights" also had its best episode since season one. The goodbye to Smash was moving because it took a long time to get there.
• Has anyone seen "The Secret Life of Bees"? I never really wanted to, but my friend Franklin Greene made me curious. You remember Franklin---he's about 6 foot 8 and has that BOOMING James Earl Jones voice. Anyway, Franklin said he saw the Secret Life of Bees. I asked him what he thought. Franklin replied, and I quote, "I didn't think I was going to like it, but man, I cried like a bitch." That made me cry.
• We just signed up for Raccoon Valley Little League. Our monthly installments start in March. RVLL is awesome, but when did Little League get so expensive? Or as judge Odell McGhee said to me on his way in, "Whatever happened to playing in the backyard? Or the sandlot?" (Reminds me, I need to watch "Sandlot" again.)
• Tell me if this ever happens to you, because my wife has turned it into a science. She'll try to make be think I'm making a decision, when in fact she is. Real life example: Saturday at Firkin Fox (okay food, great service), we ordered nachos. Our waitress said, "chicken or beef". Jenny said to me, "I don't care. You pick whatever you want... as long as it's not beef."
• Saturday we also dropped Cade off at "Chuck E Cheese". That place is INSANE on Saturdays. They didn't have enough people working for the 57 birthday parties going on at once. I felt like I was dropped into a can of Red Bull.

Post Super Bowl Scattershot Thoughts

• Great Super Bowl. That makes two in a row. Let's hope this pattern continues. Remember when Super Bowls were an annual letdown? This is way better.
• Kurt Warner couldn't have done much more. He made the one awful pass, but that was also a great disguise by the Steelers defense. I think Kurt probably should have thrown it in Larry Fitzgerald's general direction more in the first half, but overall I'm just proud to know Kurt. He wins NFL Man of the Year before the kickoff, and then goes out and plays a great game for a franchise I never expected to see in February. I was surprised how emotionally invested I was in wanting to see Kurt and the Cards win.
• It always surprises me how many Steelers fans there are in Iowa, but maybe it shouldn't. They look like the Hawkeyes, and several generations came of age when the Steelers were winning a Super Bowl. Six titles. That's just greedy.
• Overall I thought it was a subpar year for commercials. I loved the Bud Light Boardroom, the Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast, and the Doritos Vending Machine. Didn't see all the spots though.
• Time marches on. One of our reporters tonight referred to "M-C Hammer" as "McHammer". You know why? Because she's too young to remember when MC Hammer was the biggest star in music. It's nearly 20 years ago now. McHammer is understandable. However, I know of a news anchor who once called Malcolm X, Malcolm the Tenth.
• Is there a harder decision to make at work then when you walk up to the vending machine, and the snack you really want, like the trail mix, is behind a snack you don't want, like Bugles. So to get what you want, you have to pay twice because you know those Bugles aren't going anywhere. Earlier tonight I paid $1.75 for one bag of trail mix. It was worth it. Plus Chris ate the Bugles (after he wore them like fingernails).
• 12 minutes isn't a lot of time to work a crowd into a frenzy, but Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band got it done. No one saw that set list coming though (except Shawn Terrell who overheard rehearsal at Raymond James Stadium Thursday night): "10th Avenue Freeze Out": only Bruce fans know this song, but it is great live. Unexpected, but it worked. "Born to Run": made Andy get up and walk out. He's sick of it, but it's one of the all time great stadium rockers. A no-brainer. "Working On a Dream": good song off the great new album, and a smart move by Bruce to only play about 90 seconds. Sell some CD's, move along. "Glory Days": perfect ending with great assists from Steve Van Zandt and the pyrotechnics.
• We watched the game at Andy's house. He has a new home theater. The sound is awesome. I thought I was all set up with HD, but I'm now rethinking whether all our kids need to go to college.
• My favorite story of the week was Dave Price's report from Tampa on Justin Hartwig's mother handing out Steeler #62 jerseys to friends and family as they arrived at the airport. I was going to say some positive things about Shawn's reporting, but he rubbed it in a little too much that he was there and we were here.
• My friend Heather Burnside met Kevin Costner before his sold out show at Peoples Friday night. I'm happy to report Heather said Kevin was a good guy. My favorite Costner Movies: 1) Bull Durham 2) Field of Dreams 3) Dances with Wolves 4) Tin Cup 5) Silverado
• Did Rush Limbaugh really say he hopes Obama fails? He is talking about our President, right? If he fails, we all suffer. How is that good for any American? I hope Rush was misquoted. I admit I didn't hear it with my own ears.
• I don't really understand what a Panini sandwich is, but they're really tasty at the new "Good Sons" restaurant in Beaverdale.
• I was reminded Friday night that Cooney's has the best Bloody Marys in Iowa. Saturday morning I was sorry for the reminder.
• Cub Scout Pinewood Derby is a great idea. It's always fun to see whose dad can make the fastest car. Rest assured it was not Cade Murphy's dad.
• I just read "People Are Idiots, And I Can Prove It." Good self-help read. Accurate and wise.
• Now reading John Grisham's "The Associate". One of his best page-turners since "The Firm". If you like Grisham, you'll love it. If you don't, I couldn't talk you into reading more of his stuff anyway.
• Saw "The Wrestler" at the great Fleur Theater Friday night. Mickey Rourke lives up to all the hype with a heartbreaking performance that never lets you see him acting. He's great. Marisa Tomei is nearly as good, and at 44 years old spends most of the movie naked. She's aged well. Great acting, good movie.
• It's been an hour since SoundOff ended. So far, we've received about 25 emails on the Super Bowl, and 35 about Snuggies. They really are warm and cozy.
• Day 76. Still a Facebook holdout.

Scattershot thoughts from January 26th.

• Craig Brackins 42 points could be the worst thing to happen to Greg McDermott. When you hang 42 on the national champs, on national TV, in front of NBA scouts, and the points come from all angles and distances, it makes a Junior season at Iowa State shakier than it was a week ago. If Brackins leaves, it means McDermott would lose his best player for the third straight year (Taylor, Johnson, Brackins). That wouldn't make it any easier.
• I can't figure Drake out. The Bulldogs looked dazed and confused against UNI. They didn't bother showing up at Missouri State. I wondered if they were done. It certainly appeared that way. Then Drake went to Creighton and thumped everyone's pick to win the Valley. I don't think some of the players have completely let go of Keno's philosophy and fully embraced Phelps' system. Until they do, it will remain hit or miss.
• UNI is for real.
• Anytime a coach wants to show a team playing not to lose, he can just pop in a tape of Iowa at Penn State.
• Why has the President, David Palmer, been buried on Iowa's bench for more than a year?
• Until Learfield and the University of Iowa hire another football commentator, I won't give up on the idea of Ed Podolak somehow returning.
• Kirk Ferentz's friend Scott Pioli fired Herm Edwards which means... Ferentz will be back at Iowa next season.
• The John Stoddard Rally Against Cancer was sold out and raised a record amount of money for the fight of fights. Erin Kiernan helped with that in two ways: 1) Erin did a terrific job hosting the auction. 2) Her husband, Mike, won the bidding for a sweet spa package. I doubt it's for him, though Erin did mention Mike could use a Steve Carell type waxing. "Yoooooooow, Kelly Clarkson!"
• Marv Levy is a nice man. His speech at the rally mixed football anecdotes with his winning battle against prostate cancer. It was perfect. When a reporter asked Levy before the Bills Super Bowl if it was a must win, Levy famously said, "No. World War II was a must win."
• Talk about your brother's keeper. Jay McGwire claims he's looking out for Mark's best interest by selling a book that details all Mark's steroid and HGH use. Jay wants to set the record straight. Uh, Jay... I don't think there are many people wandering around wondering if your brother used 'roids. It's pretty clear. No wonder these guys don't speak.
• It was good to see Garth Brooks back on stage at the Inauguration. I had forgotten how ol' Garth can work a crowd---when he's not Chris Gaines.
• How many players will pick out the number 44 to honor our 44th President? Aim high.
• Andy Fales sparked an avalanche of emails by getting something off his chest: Andy thinks Slipknot's music absolutely sucks. The bands fans, known as Maggots, are not amused. (What's Bugging Andy? in whotv.com video player)
• The Arizona Cardinals have next to no fans. Heck, a pool supply company had to buy the final 10,000 seats at Arizona's first playoff game just to get the game televised locally. The Steelers have fans everywhere, including thousands here in Central Iowa. Still, our SoundOff survey shows far more people say they'll root for the Cardinals Sunday. That's the power of Kurt Warner.
• We had a sleepover this past weekend for my son Cade's 8th birthday. Cade invited 7 friends. Learn from our mistake. 8 is way more than enough when it comes to rambunctious boys at a party. Of the seven guests, six had good manners, five were well-behaved, and one was absolutely WILD. I realize the parents of said kids could be reading this, but each will assume that their kid is not the out of control one, so I think I'm in the clear. In the end, Cade had a great time, and it was all worth it. I'm pretty sure.
• We took the wild bunch to "Hotel for Dogs". Cute movie. Jenny liked it more than Marley & Me because the dogs are still alive when the credits roll.
• I can't say enough about what a good guest Shawn Johnson was on SoundOFF. She was game for anything, and she had a lot of fun. My favorite was Shawn watching video of Andy as Bela Karolyi. Both Shawn and her mom, Teri, thought it was spot-on, and we were all still talking about it after the show. Shawn likes Slipknot, so Andy won her back with the Bela impression. People forget Shawn's only a Junior in high school. I think she handles all the attention really well. It is constant.

Scattershot thoughts: Hayden Fry, Andy Fales is a god, and Meeting Alex Gordon.

• Nice to see what a forward-thinking pioneer Hayden Fry was. HBO's excellent documentary, "Breaking the Huddle", shows interviews with Fry on his highly controversial decision to recruit an African-American football player at SMU. Jerry LeVias proved Fry's faith right in every way, but LeVias remains bitter and angry about the racism he faced on the football field.
• Fascinating to learn in that documentary that Bear Bryant wanted to integrate Alabama's football team long before most would accept it. Bryant eventually scheduled USC, with several black stars, to play in Tuscaloosa. The Bear knew what he was doing. USC routed the Crimson Tide in their own backyard, and black players soon arrived at Alabama.
• Any baseball writers who didn't vote Rickey Henderson into the Hall of Fame should lose their privilege. There are always a few voters who think they're bigger than the game. Imagine the knuckleheads who didn't vote for Hank Aaron or Stan Musial---to name two.
• Good to see the "Andy Fales is a god" Facebook group has tripled its membership since a mention on SoundOff. Andy is embarrassed by the attention, and I suppose being called a god would make anyone this side of Rickey Henderson a little apprehensive. Meantime, the Facebook group, "Keith Murphy brushes his teeth daily" remains at only one member. (Thank you, Mom.)
• Anyone else suspect that at least a few companies are laying people off because they know they can get rid of people they want to right now without taking a PR hit?
• Carl Weathers just turned 61! How can Apollo Creed be in his 60's? "That was cool".
• Jenny and I went shopping for Cade's 8th birthday at the Jordan Creek Mall (sorry, "Town Center") during a blizzard Monday. Except for the life-endangering drive, I highly recommend it. It was empty. We walked into Scheel's and 27 different employees offered us help.
• Now that I have a reliable DVR, and HD, I'm attempting to watch "24" on a weekly basis. Not sure I can do it. I've watched all the previous seasons the way they were intended: late at night when the kids are in bed during one sleepless week. It's better that way.
• "Friday Night Lights" returns! Can't wait. Ratings show at least 1,000 other Americans feel the same way.
• I'm back watching "American Idol". My wife isn't interested until they get through the painful audition phase. It does get repetitive, but it's fascinating to see so many people who think they can sing, who absolutely cannot. We all know people like that. Some of our friends even take the mike on Karaoke night and go Celine Dion or George Michael on us. They just don't hear what we hear.
• Isn't it amazing the way music can jolt you to a time and place faster than anything. I was getting out of the shower this morning listening to 95KGGO and the Cars "Just What I Needed" came on. Suddenly I was back in 8th grade wondering if any girl would ever kiss me while I had braces. If you're out there Kristi Brandt, thank you!
• I'm on a roll for seeing good movies. I took Andy to see "Frost/Nixon" for Andy's 38th birthday. It's a great movie. Michael Sheen is perfect as David Frost, and Frank Langella transforms into Richard Nixon. Props to Ron Howard for making a riveting movie about a television interview. A
• We took the kids to see "Marley & Me", though I learned it's really not a movie for young children. It's rated PG but most of the story is about the adults' relationship. It's the kind of movie where the actors never age and their hairstyles stay the same over a 15 year period. I liked it more than I expected, but Jenny (Murphy, not Aniston) is still upset. She loves dogs and cried her face off. To quote Jenny upon exiting, "I thought we were seeing Air Bud, not Old Yeller". The kids instantly forgot the movie. They weren't engaged. B
• One more: "Gran Torino". If you love Clint Eastwood, as I do, it's a must see. I found it highly entertaining, though Eastwood's decision to use non-actors in some key roles threatens to make the movie feel like a high school play at times. It's Eastwood's show, and he's at his cranky, intimidating best. Erin Kiernan also saw Gran Torino and Erin said, "I feel like I already saw the movie when I watched the preview." Excellent observation. You know what you're getting going in (except the ending). My dad will love this, though unfortunately he'll struggle to hear Clint's grunting dialogue. B+
• When you're a little boy (or girl) who loves sports, sometimes you pick out a favorite baseball player for reasons you can't explain. For me, it was Johnny Bench. I was in awe of the Reds' catcher. I only answered to "Johnny Bench" for an entire summer, and my parents still kept me around. My son Cade met his favorite player at the Jordan Creek Hy-Vee Thursday. The Royals Caravan came through town, and Cade's mom took him to meet Alex Gordon. Now when I met Bench at spring training, I couldn't speak, smile, or blink. It appears Cade has more composure than his old man.
  

• This is a Podolak free post. If you're interested, my thoughts on Ed can be found below.

As always, thank you for your time.
Keith

Ed Podolak: Life of the Hawkeye Party.

The University of Iowa has a PR nightmare on its hands. Hawkeye fans love Ed Podolak, and they feel Ed was forced into retirement. Truth is he wasn't forced, he chose walking away over Iowa's conditions. One of those conditions, I'm told, was alcohol counseling. Ed felt insulted and never really considered treatment or classes. Fact is Eddie loves being Eddie, and he's not willing to change. Many fans don't want him to.

Let's be real here. The recent pictures of Podolak partying in Tampa may have been the final straw, but the University has been concerned about Ed's drinking for a long time---at least as far back as his arrest for public intox. Any Hawkeye fan who attends Iowa football social events has seen Podolak tipsy on many occasions---and many loved him that way. Ed was the life of the Hawkeye party, surrounded by enablers. He loved partying with people, and people loved partying with Ed. Bad combination for relative sobriety.

It's a new era. The Internet era. The PC era. The hypocrisy era. The University of Iowa has been through two years of embarrassing arrests, most alcohol related, in its football program. Podolak doesn't work for Iowa, but he does represent the University. The U wants to clean up its binge-drinking image. Podolak doesn't fit those plans.

Like many people, I see those pictures, and I see a guy celebrating an Iowa bowl trip in a bar. He looks like he's had too many drinks, but most of us have been that person. Podolak told the Des Moines Register he was embarrassed by the photos. A 61 year old man looking down the blouse of a young woman who doesn't seem to mind isn't flattering, but I've been around enough partying people in environments like that to guess that Ed was being asked to pose, and as always, he was accommodating. It's bad judgement, but as far as we can tell from the pictures, nothing illegal happened and no one was hurt.

I digress. Ed Podolak didn't retire solely due to that night. It was his body of out of the booth work over the years. I think many people feel bad because Ed was just being the guy they wanted him to be. Iowa football is, for many, an excuse to party. Tailgating, Hawkeye Huddles, bowl trips---it's one big party. Think of all Iowa football activities with no alcohol. Really think. What do you think happens to attendance? Donations? Passion? That's the rub, alcohol fuels the engine, and in many ways, pays for it (beer sponsors Iowa football). Ed Podolak is the poster boy for all that partying. 'He overdid it. And it won't be the same without him.

I know Ed enough to know he loves his life. One of his close friends tell me he's not ready to change his hard-drinking ways. Perhaps he needs to, I'm not really qualified to say. On one hand, I've seen him stumbling around drunk in public many times, on the other, I've never seen him hurt anyone. I do know this: If Ed needs to drink less, he should retire, because everywhere he went in Iowa, people handed him drinks from the moment he walked in the door. Surrounded by enablers, including the U of I.

It's better reading when the writer firmly takes a side, but I get both points of view on this one. I see why Iowa felt it was time for Podolak to stop drinking. I also see why Ed said see ya.

The Hawkeyes just lost a great radio analyst, and a hall of fame partyier. Fans will miss both.

Ferentz entrenched, The Manzier, and why Slumdog is worth a million.

• Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere. Hard to believe it was less than three months ago when many Hawkeye fans wanted Kirk gone. It's helped that Iowa football players have stayed out of trouble, but who are we kidding, it's all about winning. Team wins, fans love the coach. Hard to imagine Iowa could find a better fit than Ferentz. Ten years at one school is going the way of the affordable season ticket.
• Passionate Big Ten fans, like my friend Hunkahawk, can try all they want to spin this bowl season, but the scoreboard doesn't lie: 1 win, 6 losses. The conference should send a thank you note to Iowa's football team (and one to South Carolina's). I think the Big 12 is a tad overrated too. Plenty of O, not much D.
• I watched the Outback Bowl again. Iowa would have beaten a lot of good teams on New Year's day, but the Hawks didn't have to. On second viewing, South Carolina is worse than I realized. Steve Spurrier looks completely frustrated by losing, and his players look like they don't want to play for him---or themselves. That team was a dysfunctional mess. I worked in Gainesville when Spurrier arrived to coach Florida. My guess is he doesn't want to work as hard as he needs to. The man lives on the golf course. SC doesn't pull the recruits Florida does. I don't see it getting much better in Columbia.
• I applaud Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo for taking a hard line stance against the wandering eye of head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski. DeFilippo hired Jagodzinski with the understanding he'd be there for the long haul (sound familiar?). When DeFilippo learned Jagodzinski wanted to interview for the Jets job, just two years into his five year deal, and without asking permission first, DeFilippo hold him, "Do it, and you're fired." Jagodzinski called his bluff (what he thought was his bluff), and DeFilippo fired him. Good. I'm sick of these coaches signing long term deals and then leaving whenever they feel like it---without penalty. The student-athletes can't do that, even if the coach leaves a trail of broken promises in his wake. However, if the school fires a coach, they still owe him millions. It's been a one way street for too long. Time to bring it back to some common sense. As soon as I heard Gene Chizik interviewed at Auburn, I said, and believed, Jamie Pollard should tell Chizik, "Hope for your sake Auburn hires you because you have no job to come back to here." It's ridiculous. Bravo Mr. DeFilippo.
• Paul Rhoads is an unproven head coach, which makes him a somewhat risky hire. Rhoads is also a defensive coordinator by trade, so hiring an offensive coordinator was his first big test. He aced it. Tom Herman wore out the scoreboard at Rice, and proved he could do more with less---absolutely essential for success in Ames. Rhoads is quietly putting together an impressive staff.
• Jon Miller knows his stuff. I kept track this season. When it comes to the Hawks, the guy knows what's going to happen 90% of the time.
• Not sure which moment from SoundOff is more burned in my brain: Cy handing his cell phone to Andy and asking him to take a picture of Cy and Jon Miller, or the guy from the RV walking into the studio wearing that Manzier... Who am I kidding---it's Manzier.
• Utah just blew up the fraud of a national championship known as the BCS title game. The Utes are 13-0 and beat six bowl teams including Alabama (easily). How is Utah not the champ?
• Most exciting basketball game this week was UNI winning at Creighton. Didn't see that coming. Panthers looked great. Dana Altman looked as uncomfortable as he did doing that Arkansas Pig Soooieee chant.
• Cowboys cut Pacman Jones. See the Scorpion and the Frog.
• Jenny and I were planning to see "Marley and Me" Saturday night. Erin and Mike Kiernan invited us to "Slumdog Millionaire". Score one for Team Kiernan. Slumdog Millionaire is the best movie I saw this year. I had to drag Jenny---she didn't think it sounded like anything she'd like---and she loved it. It's stunningly original and will make you feel all the emotions. It's an A . Go see it. You'll be glad you did. And let me know what you think (like I have to add that).
• Gran Torino's next on my must see list. "GET OFF MY LAWN."

Time to clean out my cluttered 2008 closet of entertainment highs and lows. Off the top of my head:

• My favorite movies this year: Slumdog Millionaire, Role Models, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Iron Man, Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace, and Step Brothers.
• Great movies I wouldn't watch again anytime soon (too depressing): Changeling, In the Valley of Elah.
• Movies I found disappointing: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (title should have been a hint), Cloverfield (nearly puked, and it sucked), Speed Racer, Walk Hard, and Hancock (second half).
• Best acting I saw all year: Heath Ledger/Batman, Cate Blanchett/Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Gene Chizik/Firmly Entrenched in Ames.
• Three songs I couldn't get out of my head, even though I wanted to: I Kissed a Girl, Womanizer, and 5 Dollar Footlong.
• Favorite TV shows: The Mentalist, Life, Entourage, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live (thank you Tina), House, The Office, Real Sports, Costas Now, Colbert Report, Daily Show, American Idol (sue me. At least I'm honest :-), and reruns of M*A*S*H and Seinfeld.
• Shows I wanted to love, but couldn't: Lost, Heroes, Mad Men (maybe I needed more than one episode).
• Show that went off the crazy cliff: Grey's Anatomy.
• Show that almost made me get DirecTV, but I'm glad I waited for NBC return: Friday Night Lights.
• TV show I haven't seen that 10 people have told me I must see: The Wire
• Best mini-series I saw this year: John Adams (if you don't count my fourth viewing of Band of Brothers).
• My favorite TV moment of the year: Andy Fales' return on SoundOff.
• Most heartbreaking TV moment: Lolo Jones kneeling on the Beijing track in disbelief, tears in her eyes. (Western Kentucky's lucky 3 finishes second.)
• Inappropriate song my kids love that sounds like songs I loved when I was a kid: All Summer Long by Kid Rock.
• Most confusing song to my 4 year old, Colin: I Kissed a Girl (sung by a girl!)
• Favorite three albums of the year: Viva La Vida by Coldplay, Accelerate by REM, Magic by Bruce Springsteen.
• Favorite book of 2008: Why We Suck by Denis Leary.
• Favorite year of all time: 2008. Go figure.

All the best in 2009,

Keith

Hawkeyes party like it's 2009.

It's too bad the football season has to end for Iowa. The Hawkeyes peaked at the perfect time. This is a team in need of a playoff. They're not ready for Florida, Oklahoma or USC, but I believe Iowa, on any given Saturday, can beat anyone outside the top ten right now.

Which is more true of the Outback Bowl: Iowa looked great or South Carolina looked awful?Seriously, that's the worst bowl team this side of Minnesota. The Gamecocks were a mess from start to finish. Steve Spurrier earned his "genius" label at Florida, but it's always easier when you have blue chip recruits. Just ask Gene Chizik.

Shonn Greene had nothing to prove and nothing to gain by staying at Iowa. It's a shame we only got to see him for one full season, but he'll be 24 in August, that's 34 in running back years. Iowa fans should thank Shonn for the memories and wish him well. Anyone who lugged furniture so he could lug the football deserves a break.

Kirk Ferentz told us he hasn't talked to the Browns, and he's thrilled to be at Iowa. I believe that statement is true. There would be no reason the Browns would contact Kirk yet. However, Cleveland is trying to give full control to Ferentz's close friend, Scott Pioli. The Boston Herald reports Pioli would then do all he can to hire Ferentz as head coach. If Pioli accepts the job, and all that's true, we still don't know what Kirk would do. He loves having a stable family life in Iowa City. He appreciates the job security he won't find in the NFL. However, if ever there were a time, this might be it. There's euphoria in Hawkeye Nation today, but it was a rough 2008 for Ferentz. More players arrested, an internal review Ferentz didn't appreciate (and which cleared him of any wrongdoing), and unprecedented criticism from fans.

I still expect him back on the Iowa sideline. Until he's not.

It's no wonder Iowa hops over other Big Ten schools for better bowls. Did you see that crowd in Florida? Hawkeye fans caused traffic jams at the beach, fire code violations in bars, and a near home field advantage at the stadium.

It was hard not to be jealous. Perfect weather, and the fans looked like they were having a blast. Andy and I covered the past couple bowls in Florida. Shawn Terrell and Chris Hassel earned this trip, and I'm proud of the job they did. It's more work than people imagine, but no one complains when it's 75 and sunny.

Shawn and Chris traveled on the Hawkeye Nation charter with Jon Miller and company. It's a great way to go. We appreciate Jon saving a couple of seats for us on the sold out plane.

Cyclone fans keep asking why we're not making a bigger deal out of Cy winning the Cap One Bowl's "most dominant Mascot on Earth". I think they're serious.

Okay, here goes: congratulations Cyclone fans for spending more time online voting for your mascot than any other fans in America.

Something more inspiring: great job out of Iowa State's Greg Geoffroy, Jamie Pollard, Greg McDermott, Bill Fennelly and Paul Rhoads for giving up a week's pay to help with the budget crisis. Leadership starts at the top, especially when the top makes the most money. (update: Heather in Clive, who I know to be a die hard Cyclone fan disagrees, and emailed the following:
It's symbolic, not substantive. I suppose that's o.k., but issuing a news release negates the gesture, IMHO. Interesting point. What do you think?)

Happy New Year!
Keith